The main objective of I-TEX, an IWT project [no. 140237], was to prove that textile and other manufacturing companies can make advantage of e-commerce by implementing targeted product development. Six Flemish textile companies joined us in this case-based research. The results from this research and further literature studies enabled us to draft a new and practical tool: the e-commerce compass.

The e-commerce compass is designed to allow a more goal-oriented product development. The intersections between human beings, marketing and machine will be better exploited. The e-compass will guide B2B manufacturers to embark on a successful e-commerce trajectory under professional supervision.

In the course of the project, it became very clear that this theme is very much alive within the companies. Following information sessions and the many contacts with individual companies, several cases have been worked out, some of them very successfully.